Jon Bluming

Johannes Cornelius Bluming (6 February 1933 – 17 December 2018) was a Dutch martial artist, instructor and actor.

Known as a pioneer in variety of martial arts, Bluming held 9th dan in judo, 10th dan in Kyokushin Karate and 10th dan in Hapkido. He was also the coach of two-time Olympic champion Willem Ruska.

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Career

Born in Amsterdam, he was 13 when he started to train in boxing, but three years later he applied for the Marines to escape poverty and was accepted to the bootcamp in Doorn in July 1949. During the break out of the Korean War in 1950, Bluming was sent to Korea as part of the van Heutz regiment. He received several decorations and was wounded twice, having to be moved to Tokyo to recover. It was there where he came in contact with the Asian martial arts, witnessing a judo exhibition by Kyuzo Mifune at the Kodokan school in March 1953. Deciding to try judo when he returned to Holland, Bluming meanwhile trained in Taekkyon in Korea.

Back to the Netherlands, Bluming trained in judo under Eddy Roosterman and the renowned G. F. M. Schutte, and gained his black belt in three years. In 1957, Bluming was appointed coach of the Dutch national team, which won the European championships in Bellevue the same year, and also was invited to train at a police dojo in Berlin, Germany and at a private judo club. Immediately after he received the 3º dan from Tokio Hirano by beating 75 judokas in 26 minutes and while having an injured toe.[4] After winning some tournaments, he moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1958, teaching judo at the Dalhousie University. After a time, he finally moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he complemented his judo training by learning karate; he first joined the Shotokan school, but soon switched to Kyokushin, which was more to his liking.

During his time in Tokyo, he lived with Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith, and was in the former's judo class, where popular opinion placed the 25 best judo practitioners in Tokyo.[4] Anyway, Bluming gained his 4º dan after beating Akio Kaminaga by choke and Isao Inokuma by uchi mata makikomi. Draeger and him also trained in bojutsu, iaijutsu and kendowith Tokyo police instructors Takaji Shimizu and Ichitaro Kuroda. Also under Donn's tutelage, Bluming underwent training to move to a heavier weight class, ascending from his natural 176 lb to 224 lb. This brought more success, as Bluming replaced Inokuma in a gonin gake (a judo challenge against five opponents of 3º dan or higher) and accomplished a shocking record of 4 seconds.

After his training in Japan, Bluming received a letter from the Netherlands in which Schutte asked him to come back and teach at the old dojo and the Amateurs Association for a year on contract. Bluming went back to teach his old friends, make some new ones, and participate in the 1961 World Judo Championships in Paris in December. However, around this time he entered in a public enmity with Anton Geesink, who badmouthed Bluming in the press but refused several times to meet him on the tatami. Bluming answered back, claiming that Geesink was unworthy of his accomplishments and that Blumin himself was going to "bend him over like a folding chair" when they fought.[5] Unfortunately for Bluming, he was not allowed to take part in the World Championships because his role as a Netherlands Amateur Judo Association coach. He then made a match against all comers, some 80 judoka from 1st dan to 4th dan, and threw them all within about four seconds in full view of the press, but even so, Geesink did not step down to fight him. After watching Geesink's victory in Paris, a frustrated Bluming retired from competition and focused only on teaching instead.

In 1965, Bluming became the first non-Japanese in being awarded the 6º dan in karate from Masutatsu Oyama. This decision was controversial enough among Asian karatekas to force Oyama to put a challenge in a magazine, challenging any of them to a fight against Bluming in a boxing ring and promising to strip him from the black belt if the Dutchman lost. Oyama was so confident that he also promised a hefty bounty, and swearing to retire himself from the Kyokushin school. Only the Korean champion Kwan Mo Gun accepted the challenge, and was swiftly knocked out by Bluming via shotei.[3] Bluming remained a close coworker of Oyama, but over time he became critical with his policies, and eventually left the school due to disagreements with him. founding his own school, Kyokushin Budokai. However, he remained a respected member of the association, being awarded the 9º dan in 1989.

Four years later, Bluming was contacted by Akira Maeda from Fighting Network Rings, a professional wrestling and mixed martial artspromotion which had a working agreement with both Oyama himself and Bluming's apprentice Chris Dolman. Through Maeda, Masutatsu offered him to return as a trainer and mediator with Rings, which Bluming accepted with the condition to expel Loek Hollander from the school. In 1994, after Oyama's death, Bluming was awarded the 10º dan by Kenji Kurosaki.

Notable students

• Hideyuki Ashihara (founder of Ashihara Karate).
• Azuma Takashi (founder of Daidō juku kūdō).
• Chris Dolman (world champion in sambo and silver medalist in judo).
• Willem Ruska (world champion and gold Olympic medalist in judo).
• Jan Plas (kickboxer and trainer, founder of Mejiro Gym).
• Thom Harinck (kickboxer and trainer, founder of Chakuriki Gym).
• Otti Roethof (world champion in judo and karate).
• Semmy Schilt (K-1, Daido-Juku Kudo and mixed martial arts champion).
• Gilbert Yvel (mixed martial arts champion)
• Juan Carlos I of Spain